Embattled Yemen President offered ‘smooth exit’ plan

Yemen’s opposition and clerics have offered President Ali Abdullah Saleh a smooth exit from power this year, but protesters staged new demonstrations yesterday to demand his immediate ouster.

The proposal calls for a “peaceful transition of power” from Mr Saleh, insists two-week-old demonstrations against his regime will go on, and demands a probe into a deadly crackdown on the protests.

“We’ve agreed on a settlement proposal including a roadmap for the president’s departure before the end of this year,” said opposition parliamentary spokesman Mohammed al-Sabri.

The five-point plan which calls for Mr Saleh to step down by the end of 2011, according to Mr Sabri, was yet to receive a response from the veteran leader.

Once Mr Saleh replied, it would ultimately be up to Yemen’s people to “decide whether to accept or reject this proposal,” said the Common Forum, an alliance of parliamentary opposition.

Mr Saleh’s three decades of autocratic rule has been rocked by a wave of protests in which at least 19 people have been killed since February 16, according to an AFP toll based on reports and witnesses.

But the embattled 68-year-old has doggedly rejected calls to resign.

Yesterday’s offer calls on Mr Saleh to “highlight a number of steps by which power will be passed on... during a period that does not exceed the end of this year.”

It calls for an “investigation on the crimes committed across Yemen... bringing the killers and those behind them to justice... (and) compensating the families” of the victims.

But despite the announcement, thousands of protesters staged a march yesterday in the capital, vowing to intensify their protests until Mr Saleh departs.

“Revolution, revolution, until victory, or march towards the palace,” read their banners, referring to the presidential palace.

One demonstrator, Jamal Khayran, said youths would pay little attention to the proposal.

“The revolution is that of the youth and not a revolt for parties, whether opposition or ruling... we will continue until the downfall of the regime,” he said.

Female supporters of Mr Saleh’s General People’s Congress party staged a counter-demonstration in Sanaa.

But anti-regime protest organiser Hashem al-Ibara said the demonstrators would intensify their rallies from Saturday.

Meanwhile in the western port city of Al-Hudaydah, three people were injured in clashes that erupted between anti-regime protesters and Mr Saleh’s partisans, witnesses said.

But no clashes were reported in similar protests that took off in the southeastern province of Al-Baida and Al-Jawf province in the north.

In the main southern city of Aden, the site of deadly clashes, protesters slammed the opposition’s offer to Mr Saleh, saying they were yet to announce whether they will accept any dialogue.